Propelling mechanism for ships.



N0. 628,|29. Patented lllly 4, 1899. M. STEHR.

PRPELLING MECHANISM FR SHIPS.

(Applica-tion filed Feb. 28, 1899.) (No' Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet l.

.l Y @Y N No. 628,I29. Patented luly 4, |899. M1.. STOEHR.

PRUPELLING MEGHANISM FOR SHIPS.

(Application led. Feb. 28, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

i/576.55 es.; v I .ZEUZN me wams PETERS cn wofouwo., wAsmNoroN. nA cy No. 62s,|29. Patented IuIy 4, |899. III. sToEHn.

PROPELLING MECHANISM FR SHIPS.

(Application md Feb. 2s, 1899.) (N0 Model.) 5 Shets-Sheet 3.

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I l l I I I I I I I I I l I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I. I I I I I I lN0.y628,|29. Patented July 4, |899.

M. STUEHR.

. PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR SHIPS.

(Application led Feb. 28, 1899.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

2. WJ Ew? f lwesses No. 628329. 'Patented July 4,1899.

M. sToEHB.

`PBOPELLING MECHANISM FUR SHIPS.

d e.2s 1899.

(Application file F b (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

UNITED .STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

MoRIz sToEHR, or NE'w YORK, N. Y.

PRO'PELpLING MEGHANISM FOR SHIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,129, dated July 4, 1899. Appncatiogfnearebnmj28,1899. seria1N0.7o7,157. No maar.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that l, MORIZ STOEHR, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary,-re siding in New York city, borough of Brooklyn, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ships, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates toimproved means forr propelling and steering a ship, and in carrying out my invention I provide one or more -shafts at each side of the ship below the wavided for changing the direction of the shafts relatively to the longitudinal axis ofthe ship, or, in other words, for giving the shafts adirection of divergence, the screws thereby beif the shafts extend parallel to the ship the screws will tend to propel the ship in the direction of its length; but if the shafts diverge the screws, being thus moved laterally, will tend to turn the ship to one side or the other, more or less, according to the degree of inclination or deviation that the shafts have to the longitudinal axis'of .the ship, and thereby the steering of the ship can be effected without the use of arudder. This arrangement of the screws also distributes the power applied through the screws over greater surfaces of water than where screws are usedrat the stern of the ship, and thereby the ship can be driven at a greater speed with a given amount of power than can be effected by screws at the stern, and the ship can be turned much quicker and in a smaller space than can be accomplished by the use of a rudder.

The invention further consists in the novel details of improvement and the combinations of parts, that will be more fully hereinafter set' forth and then pointed out in the claims. Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein- Figure 1 is a horizontal section through a portion of the side of a ship, showing my improvements partlyin full lines and partly in section'. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the screw or propeller shaft with its bearing or journal-box. Fig. 3 isapartly-diagrammatic cross-section through the central part of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view taken horizontally through the body of the ship, showing various angles to which the side or lateral shafts can be turned. Fig. is a diagrammatic plan view of the ship, showing the relative arrangement of the side or lateral shafts and the screws or propellers carried thereby; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the screw or propeller shafts, showing its journalbox and the means for supporting the same and for deflecting the shaft from its normal line parallel with the ship.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of `reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views, A indicates generally a hull of a ship, which may be of any suitable construction, and B are shafts I provided with screws or propellers C C'. The shafts B are located on opposite sides of the ingarrangedtohavelateral movement. Thus ship below the normal water-line, and by preference the sides of the ship in line with the propellers are provided with recesses A A2 of such dimensions as to admit the screws or propellers, so that the shafts. B can be turned or swung at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the ship, as'clearly shown in Figs. l and 4. The shafts B are each supported by a journal box or bearing vD of suitable construction, which j ournal-boxes are suspended from the sides of the ship in such position that the shafts can extend longitudinally of the ship and can be deflected at an angle thereto. The journal-boxes are shown located between the ends of the shafts. The means I have shown forsupporting the journal-boxes D to enable them to be turned laterally or deflected consist of arms DX, extending from the top and bottom of the journalbox and having an inwardly-projecting part CZ, an upwardly-projecting part d', and a laterally-projecting part d2. (See Figs. 3 and 6.) The parts d of these arms project through openings in the side plates of the ship, thelverti cally-disposed parts cl are jonrnaled in bearings E in the side walls orl plates of the ship, and the laterally-extending parts d2 project into the ship in positionY to be operated for turning or swinging the journal-.box and the shaft laterally of the ship and can be held in ICO such position by suitable means. Thus it will be seen that the journal-box D is pivotally supported outside of the ship, so as to turn in a horizontal plane to thereby deflect the shaft from a line parallel with the axis of the ship. The shaft B and its journal-box D are so constructed that the journal receives the longitudinal thrust of the shaft, which thrustis transmitted through the arnls of the journal-box to the body of the ship. I have shown the shaft as provided with a spherical bearing B2, which may be formed directly on the shaft or suitably attached thereto, and

the journal-box D has a chamber D2, in which.

the ball B2 rotates. The parts B2 D2 thus form abutments to transmit the end thrust of the shaft to the bearing D. By preference antifriction-balls Y are located between the enlargement B2of the shaft and the journalbox D, and the inner wall of the journal-box that is opposite to the point of junction between the enlargement B2 and the shaft B is preferably formed on an angle to the shaft B, as at e, so as to provide three points of contact for the antit'riction-balls. (See Fig. l.)

Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the shaft B. For this purpose I have shown the periphery of the spherical or balllike enlargement B2 as provided with gearteeth F, the outer edges of which teeth are curved to follow the curve of the part B2, and one side wall of chamber D2 is provided with an opening D2 in line with the teeth F. (See Figs. l and G is a gear suitably journaled within the walls of the ship and projecting through an opening g therein, so as to mesh with the gear F. The shaft G2 of gear G is shown journaled in the side plate of the ship, H being a projecting shell around said gear to keep water from passing into the ship. For the purpose of the better transmission of power to the gear G, I have shown the shaft G2 as provided with pinions I at' each end, which mesh with gears J, suitably journaled within the ship, the gears J being attached to or formed integral wit-l1 a shaft or drum K. Anysuitable means maybe provided for transmitting power to the gears J. The shafts for the gears Gand J may be mounted on ballbearings, if desired, in any suitable manner not necessary to illustrate.

It will be understood that where the'supporting and operating arms d CZ enter the ship tight joints will be made to prevent ingress of water and that thereby the shafts can be supported wholly without the ship, they can be turned at any desired angle to the longitudinal axis of the ship, and can be rotated by power from within the ship, all without admitting water into the ship.

The shafts B, constructed, supported, and operated as described, are placed on opposite sides of the ship, preferably diametrically opposite each other in pairs, and there may be any desired or suitable number of such shafts on each side of the ship, the sides of the ship having recesses A A2 for the screws of cach are located outside of the outer walls of the.

ship, the propellers each operate on independent portions of water, and the propeller or propellers at the fore part of the shafts are adapted to pull or draw on the water, while those at the after part of the shafts are adapted to push on the water if the ship be proceeding forward and toact reversely if the ship is moving backward. The shape of the outer walls of the ship above and below the recesses A A2 will be of ordinary outline, so that said recesses will not present a material obstruction to the momentum of the ship. In some cases I may protect the shafts and propellers from iioating obstructions by means of shields L, projecting laterally over the shafts from the sides ofthe ship and depending therefrom at L2 parallel to the shafts, as in Figs. 1 and 3; but these shields will preferably not depend over the ends of the shafts, so that they would present very little obstruction to the travel of the ship.

By preference each shaft will be driven independently, so that all the shafts can be driven at the same speed and in the same direction at the same time. The shafts can also be driven at different speeds in the same or opposite directions. Where it is desired to have the ship travel straight ahead, the shafts will be adjusted parallel to the ship and any or all of them rotated simultaneously. If it is desired to lsteer the ship, say, to starboard, the shafts can be turned to thedesired degree, those on the forward starboard side being turned so that the screw C projects outwardly from the ship away from the recess A', as at X in Fig. l, and the corresponding screw C' will be moved toward the recess A2, as at X2 in Fig. 1, while those on the forward port sideof the ship will be turned so that the screw C projects into the recess A in the position Z in Fig. 4 and the corresponding screw C' will project away from the ship in the position Z2 in said figure, while the shafts diametrically at the stern of the ship will be adjusted into the reverse position. ship is to be steered to port, the shaftsB will be adjusted oppositely to that just described. It will also be understood that more or less of the shafts can be adjusted to an angle, while some are left parallel to the ship. lf the ship is to be turned in a large circle, the deviation of the shafts will be less than where the ship is to be turned in'a smaller circle. If the ship is to be turned quickly in a very small space, the shafts can be given their greatest degree of inclination and those at the forward part of the ship can be rotated ahead, while those at the rear can be rotated in a reverse direction, or the shafts'may be rotated in any manner independently that will turn IOO IIO

If the the ship from its course in the quickest time. If preferred, the ship may be provided with a rudder and with one or more propellers at the rear in well-known manner, which can serve to assist in turning or steering the ship. If a rudder is used, the shafts B may be kept parallel to the ship and the rudder can be operated in the ordinary manner; but where quick deviation or turning of the ship is desired the shafts can be swung to the desired angle and so used to assistin turning or steering the ship in addition to the rudder. The shafts B and their propellers may be also arranged at the stern of the ship to assist in steering or turning the same and can be operated independently.

I do not limit my invention to the precise details of construction shown and described, as they may be varied without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having now described my'invention, what I claim is l. In ashipthe combination of one or more shafts each having two or more screws or propellers mounted at the sides'of the ship, and means for rotating said shafts and for adjusting them laterally, substantially as described.

2. In a ship the combinationof one or more shafts having screws or propellers mounted at the sides of the ship, means for rotating said shafts, and means for 'turning or swinging said shafts at an angle and in a horizontal plane to the sides of the ship, substantially as described.

3. In a ship the combination of one or more shafts mounted at each side thereof and normally lying parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ship, screws or propellers carried by said shafts, means for turning or swinging said shafts at an angle and in a horizontal plane to the ship and for holding the shafts in the positions set,substantially as described.

4. In a ship the combination of one or more shafts located on each side thereof, means for pivotally su pporting said shafts between their ends, and screws or propellers carried by said shafts, substantially as described.

5. In a ship the combination of one or more shafts located on each side thereof, means for pivotally supporting said shafts between their ends, screws or propellers carried by said shafts, and means for moving or swinging said shafts at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the ship and for holding the shafts in the positions set, substantially as described.

6. In a ship the combination of one or more shafts located at the sides of the ship and diametrically opposite each other, means for rotatively supporting said shafts from the sides of the ship and adjusting them laterally, and two or more screws or propellers carried by said shafts, substantiallyT as described.

7. In a ship the combination of one or more shafts located at the sides of the ship and diametrically opposite each other, means for rotatively supporting said shafts from the sides of the ship, screws or propellers carried by said shafts, and means for moving or swinging said shafts at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the ship and for holding the shafts in the positions set, substantially as described.

v8. In a ship having recesses in its outer walls, the combination of one or more shafts mounted at each side of the ship, screws or propellers carried by said shafts in line with the recesses in the ship, and means for moving or swinging said shafts into and out of said recesses at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the ship and for holding the shafts in the positions set, substantially as described.

9. In a ship the combination of one or. more shafts mounted at'the sides of the-ship and adapted to extend parallel thereof and to be moved at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the ship, screws or propellers carried by said shafts, and means for independently rotating said shafts, substantially as described.

l0. In a ship the combination of one or more shafts, journals or bearings for the shafts carried at the sides of the ship, means for snpporting and turning or swinging said journals or bearings to hold the shafts parallel or at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the ship, and screws or propellers carried by said shafts, substantially as described.

ll. In a ship the combination of one or more shafts, a journal or bearing foreach shaft carried by the ship at the sides thereof, screws or propellers carried by said shafts, means for supporting and moving said journals or bearings parallel or at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the ship, a gear connected with each shaft, and gearing carried by the ship to operate said shaft-gears, substantially as described.

12. In a ship the combination of a shaft located at each side thereof, a journal or bearing for each shaft having an arm projecting into a bearing in the side of the ship wherein said arm is pivotally supported, screws or propellers carried by said shafts, gears carried by the shafts, and gearing carried by the ship to operate said gear, substantially as described.

13. In aship the combination of one or more shafts vcarried at the sides thereof, a journal orvbearing for each shaft, arms carried by the journals or bearings having verticallydisposed portions d journaled in the sides of the ship and forwardly-exten ding arms whereby the journals or bearings can be turned to an angle to the longitudinal axis of the ship, a gear carried by each shaft and gearing carried by the ship to mesh with said gear, substantially as described.

14. In aship the combination of one or more shafts located at each side thereof, said shafts carrying screws or propellers, the shafts having an enlargement between their ends, a journal or bearing for each shaft having a chamber to receive said enlargement, a gear IOO IZO

carried by the shaft within said chamber, and gearing carried by the ship to mesh with said gear, substantially as described.

15. In aship the combination of one or more shafts located at each side thereof, said shafts carrying screws or propellers, the shafts having an enlargement between their ends, a journal or'bearing for each shaft having a chamber to receive'said enlargement, antifriction-balls located between the shaft, its enlargement and the journal to take up the thrust of the shaft, a gear carried by the shaft, and gearing carried by the ship to mesh with said gear, substantially as described.

16. In a ship the combination of one or more shafts located at the sides thereof, screws or propellers carried by said shafts, said shafts each having a spherical enlargement, a journal or bearing for each shaft having a chamber to receive said spherical enlargement, means for movably supporting said journals or bearings at the sides of the ship, a gear carried by the shaft, and gearing carried by the ship for operating each shaft, substantially as described.

17. In a ship the combination of one or more shafts located at the sides of the ship, screws carried by said shafts, a journal or bearing for the shafts located between the ends thereof, a gear carried by the shaft located between its ends, means for movably supporting the journals or bearings at the sides of the ship, and gearing carried by lthe ship to mesh with the gear of the shaft, substantially as described.

1S. In a ship the combination of shafts located at the sides thereof, screws or propellers carried by said shafts, a journal or bearing for each shaft pivotally supported at the sides of the ship, said journal or bearing having an opening in one side, a gear carried by the shaft, and gearing carried by the ship adapted to enter the opening in the journal to mesh with the gear of the shaft, substantially as described.

19. In a ship the combination of one or more shafts located at the sides thereof, screws or propellers carried by said shafts, means for pivotally supporting the shafts to enable them to be moved to an angle to the longitudinal axis of the ship, said shafts having a gear whose outer face is curved, and a gear carried by the ship and having its outer face curved so that said gears will remain in mesh during the different positions of adjustment of the shaft, substantially as described.

20. In a ship the combination of one or more shafts located at the sides thereof, screws or propellers carried by said shafts, journals for said shafts inovably supported at the sides of the ship, a gear carried by each shaft, a gear mounted in the ship meshing with said gear of the shaft, two pinions connected with the gear within the ship, and two gears meshing with said pinions, substantially as described.

21. In a ship the combination of one or more shafts having screws or propellers mounted at the sides of the ship, means for rotating said shafts, means for adjusting the shafts laterally and shields extending from the sides of the ship over the shafts, substantially as described.

22. In aship the combination of one or more shafts having screws or propellers mounted at the sides of the ship, means for rotating said shafts, means for adjusting the shafts laterally and shields extending from the sides of the ship over the shafts, said shields having a depending portion that extends downwardly outside of the shafts.

MORIZ STOEHR.

IVitnesses:

A. R. ANGUs, F. E. TURNER. 

